


A Lack of Air

by HallsofStone2941



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Mermen!AU, Smaug's a squid, fic for fanart, human!Bilbo, mer!Thorin, mer!company, slight angst (maybe)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1770814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HallsofStone2941/pseuds/HallsofStone2941
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo is drowning. Thorin can't let that happen.</p>
<p>A little one-shot inspired by fanart drawn by the amazing ewelock (a.k.a. ewebean)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lack of Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ewebean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ewebean/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Nor Will I Be Responsible For His Fate](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/54643) by ewelock. 



> I saw this fanart a while ago and immediately had an outline in my head. I was a little hesitant about posting the link because I have no way of asking ewelock if it's ok - so, ewelock, if you read this and want me to remove it, please let me know.

As the dust settles to the bottom of the ocean, the Company gradually leaves the safety of the rocks they had hidden behind. All watch silently as the body of Smaug the Giant Squid slowly sinks to the sandy floor.

“Is everyone all right?” Thorin finally asks, his gaze running over each member of the Company. Everyone sports small scrapes from the battle they had just fought, but as far as he could tell, none were seriously injured. The nods he receives from the rest of his Company assure him of that. “Good. Now that Smaug is dead we can assess—Bilbo?”

Thorin’s attention turns to the lone human in their midst, decked out in diving gear that would enable his human body to swim far below sea level. The marine biologist doesn’t answer – instead, he seems too preoccupied with taking deep, heaving breaths, his chest moving rapidly in and out. No sound comes from behind his breathing piece, yet his eyes are wide with panic as his lungs seem to fight harder and harder to draw breath in – but why?

Suddenly Bilbo seems to inhale as much as his lungs can allow, before ripping off the mouthpiece of his breathing apparatus. He tears at the straps holding the oxygen tank to his back and checks it over as the rest of the Company watches with worried eyes. Suddenly, his hands stop fiddling, and when he looks up – first to the surface of the water, hundreds of feet above them, then to Thorin – his eyes are full of resignation. He shakes his head, attempting to send a message to the mer-King, and then drops the tank, letting it fall to the bottom of the ocean.

Bofur swims after it, clearly not understanding Bilbo’s actions. Thorin’s eyes widen and he rushes to the human’s side as Bilbo starts convulsing, arms and legs thrashing in the water as he attempts to hold his breath in – _why_ , Thorin wants to ask. The pent-up air in Bilbo’s lungs escapes in a swirl of bubbles, and he claps his hand over his mouth, eyes frantic and beseeching. Only then does Thorin understand, as the brave little man sends one last look upward before meeting their eyes, goodbye clearly written in them.

Before Thorin can think, his arms are around Bilbo, and he is swimming as fast as his tail can carry them, pumping through the water at a speed that isn’t good for either of them, but it won’t matter because they are _out of time_. He has barely made it a hundred feet when Bilbo starts to thrash, his body trying to expel the water in his lungs and consequently bringing more in – _fuck_ – Thorin thinks, stopping his ascent. He hits Bilbo on the back – hard, forcing everything out of him – then, before the Bilbo can instinctively breathe in again, Thorin presses his lips to Bilbo’s open mouth and forces air – pure, gaseous oxygen – into the smaller man’s oxygen-starved lungs. He feels bubbles caress his cheek as Bilbo breathes out while he inhales again, once more pressing their mouths together to give Bilbo the air he so desperately needs. For more than a minute, Thorin feeds air to the biologist. When Bilbo’s lips are pressed tight together, Thorin pulls back. The human points up, to the surface, and once again, the mer-King is darting upwards, pausing only once more to re-oxygenate, before finally breaking the surface.

Bilbo takes deep, shuddering breaths of salty sea air, Thorin holding him afloat. Once the marine biologist begins breathing normally, he looks at Thorin and turns bright red.

“Th-thank you,” he says, shaking slightly, from the cold or nerves, Thorin cannot tell.

“It was nothing. You are a member of the Company. And—” Thorin draws Bilbo closer, “you have come to mean much to me in these past weeks, little burglar.” When Thorin brings their lips together once more, it is for the sole purpose of feeling the other man’s mouth on his own. Bilbo responds to the kiss enthusiastically, and Thorin pulls off the diving mask so that he can get as close as possible. When they finally break away, Bilbo is grinning sheepishly, and Thorin becomes aware of whistles and catcalls coming from behind Bilbo…

The other members of the Company are all sitting on a rocky outcropping several yards away, cheering at the unlikely couple. Thorin glares at them, until Bilbo points out they were there pretty much the whole time.

“Ignore them,” Thorin instructs, ducking in to steal another long, salty kiss.


End file.
